The present invention relates generally to the field of motorcycle accessories, and more specifically to an apparatus that prevents overflow during the filling of a motorcycle gas tank.
Motorcycles have many uses in today's society. They are used as economical commuting vehicles, as racing and recreational vehicles and can even be found in the military. Motorcycles typically are lighter than traditional cars, have smaller engines and get much better gas mileage than cars.
Motorcycles generally are two-wheeled vehicles resembling a heavy bicycle that is powered by a gasoline engine mounted between the wheels. Motorcycles have three to five speed gearshifts, and usually have a chain or belt drive between the motor and the rear wheel. The engine is either a two-stroke or a four-stroke gasoline engine with between one and six cylinders. The engines can be started by a foot-activated starter crank, but many motorcycles now have electric starters. Motorcycles have a rear-wheel brake operated by a foot pedal and a front-wheel brake operated by a hand lever. Some motorcycles use drum brakes, but today's modem motorcycles tend to use disk brakes, especially for the front-wheel brake. The engine of a motorcycle is usually air-cooled, but some engines, especially those of large or racing motorcycles, are water-cooled.
An operator's license is required to operate a motorcycle, with provisions and requirements different from those for driving an automobile. Many motorcycles accommodate a passenger in addition to the driver, and attachable sidecars supported by one wheel are sometimes used. Three-wheeled motorcycles, which have two wheels in the rear, are also used occasionally. Vehicles similar to the motorcycle include the motor scooter, which is less powerful and has a foot platform between the front post and the seat, and the moped, essentially a bicycle with a built-in motor that can be started by pedaling.
Motorcycles are popular because of their compact size, easy maneuverability, ability to accelerate quickly, and economy. Motorcycles are loved by many enthusiasts who find freedom and exhilaration when cruising on the two wheeled vehicles. Motorcycles are widely used for recreation, transportation, and racing. Also, they are widely used by police and military forces around the world. In the United States, more than 1,000 motorcycle clubs exist, with the American Motorcycle Association as a governing body. Motorcycle racing developed as a sport in the early 20th century and today features both endurance and speed events.
Since most motorcycles have internal combustion engines, they also have a gasoline tank that must periodically be refilled. Gasoline is a mixture of the lighter liquid hydrocarbons used chiefly as a fuel for internal-combustion engines. It is produced by the fractional distillation of petroleum; by condensation or adsorption from natural gas; by thermal or catalytic decomposition of petroleum or its fractions; by the hydrogenation of producer gas or coal; or by the polymerization of hydrocarbons of lower molecular weight. Gasoline has many unfavorable characteristics that necessitates care when handling the flammable liquid. Thus, when refilling a motorcycle gas tank it is important not to let the gas tank overflow. Gasoline will be absorbed by clothing and other cloth like material, rendering the material flammable. For the careless driver that forgets about gas soaked clothing this could spell disaster at a later time, such as when the person is standing around a campfire or lighting a cigarette. Gasoline also has caustic characteristics. If it is splashed on the outside of a motorcycle's gas tank it will eventually cause fading of the paint and finish of the gas tank. Gasoline also has a caustic effect on skin. An overflow during filling could cause gas to be splashed on the hands or other parts of the person doing the filling. If the affected area of skin is not washed immediately the person will experience a burning sensation. Further, unwashed hands and fingers with gasoline residue on them could cause burning and irritation of the eyes if the person later uses his fingers to rub his eyes or eyelids. Finally, not to be forgotten is the unpleasant odor of gasoline. Spilling and overflow of gasoline on any item will leave the item with a smell of gasoline that is harmful to the person and the environment.
In an attempt to capture and otherwise limit the fumes and smell that are emitted during the filling of gas tanks, gas pump manufacturers have instituted the use of a corrugated rubber nozzle that surrounds the gasoline dispensing nozzle. This rubber nozzle is intended to fit around the outside of a gas tank inlet while the metal nozzle is inserted down and into the gas tank inlet. During filling of the tank, any fumes that try to escape from the gas tank are prevented by a seal the rubber nozzle forms around the outside of the gas tank inlet. Many gas pumps will not even allow the flow of gasoline to begin until the rubber hose is pushed back a sufficient distance from the tip of the metal nozzle. Almost all gas pump systems also have an auto shut-off feature whereby the gas pump detects when the gas tank is full based on pressure that is felt by the gas coming out of the gasoline dispensing nozzle. Such an automatic shut-off feature works well with automobile gas tanks where the gasoline must travel some distance down a fill tube before it ultimately reaches the gas tank. The fill tube acts as a safety overflow device allowing the gas pump time to realize the gas tank is full and automatically stop before an overflow occurs. Motorcycles do not have a tube leading to the gas tank. Rather, the gasoline dispensing nozzle is inserted directly into the gas tank itself. Therefore, no extra time is provided between the filling of the gas tank and the initiation of the automatic shut-off feature, leading to unwanted overflows. One can understand how this happens by imagining a situation where a person filling a cars gas tank wishes to "top off" the gas tank; fill the car's tank so that the gasoline level can be seen at the tank inlet. In such a situation, the person doing the filling lets the automatic shut-off feature stop the filling of the gas tank at its regular time. However, since the person wishes to fill not only the gas tank but the fill tube also, he starts filling the tank again. When the auto shut-off feature stopped the gas flow the first time, there was no overflow. However, on the second occurrence of the auto shut-off feature, gasoline overflows from the gas tank. This is because the fill tube was already partially filled during the first filling and during the second subsequent filling there is not enough empty space in the fill tube to hold all of the gasoline that continues to be dispensed even though the auto shut-off feature has been initiated. Such is the situation with motorcycle gas tanks. Many times motorcycle drivers will hold the rubber nozzle up and out of the way so that they can see the level of gas in the gas tank as it start to rise. This method allows the rider to stop filling before an overflow occurs, however, it also requires the motorcycle rider to soil his fingers with soot and gas residue from the rubber hose.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to prevent unwanted overflows when filling the gas tank of a motorcycle. It is also an object to provide a device that allows motorcycle drivers to fill their gas tanks without getting their fingers dirty from the rubber fume catching tubes and gasoline residue. It is further an object to let motorcycle riders take advantage of the auto shut-off feature of gasoline pumps, wherein the auto shut-off feature stops the flow of gasoline before any overflow of gasoline occurs.